A Northeastern Mountain Hunter in 1985

The snow of the Greater Khingan Range can bury you, but it can also save you. Chen Yusheng was trapped in the mountains when a mudslide came crashing down. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was back in 1985, after the first snowfall of the tenth lunar month. He was seventeen, his left leg was still sound, his childhood friend had no scar on his face, and his sweetheart Wang Xue’er still wore her hair in long braids, waiting for him to speak. In his previous life, he hunted in the mountains, traded furs, went into foreign trade, became a billionaire, lost it all, and finally slunk back to the mountains. This time, he wanted none of that. All he wanted was these mountains, both families safe and whole, and the girl whose hand he never got to hold before she died. In this world, some people rush to the city, while others chase after money. Chen Yusheng was different. He slung a hunting rifle over his shoulder, brought his dog, and plunged straight into the blizzard. Blind bears scratched at trees, wild boars barreled through ravines, and sable roamed the woods. It was all food for his table. The villagers said, “That boy’s gone mad.” Wang Xue’er pressed her lips together and smiled as she knitted and unraveled the red sweater in her hands, over and over. Chen Yusheng stood in the snow with his water-cooled rifle. His breath veiled half his face, and his eyes gleamed like blades. This time, he wasn’t going to hunt in the mountains. He was going to make the mountains follow him.